Entries categorized "F.Y.I."

December 09, 2008

A very old lady looked in the mirror one morning. She had three remaining hairs on her head, and being a positive soul, she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she braided her three hairs, and she had a great day.

Some days later, looking in the mirror one morning, preparing for her day, she saw that she had only two hairs remaining. "Hmm, two hairs... I fancy a centre parting today." She duly parted her two hairs, and as ever, she had a great day.

A week or so later, she saw that she had just one hair left on her head. "One hair huh...," she mused, "I know a pony-tail will be perfect." And again she had a great day.The next morning she looked in the mirror. She was completely bald. "Finally bald huh," she said to herself, "How wonderful! I won't have to waste time doing my hair any more.”

December 03, 2008

Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him "hopeless as a composer." And, of course, you know that he wrote five of his greatest symphonies while completely deaf.

Decca Records turned down a recording contract with the Beatles with the evaluation, "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on their way out." After Decca rejected the Beatles, Columbia records followed suit.

Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, and Jimmy Johnson accounted for 11 of the 19 Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1993. They also share the distinction of having the worst records of first-season head coaches in NFL history - they didn't win a single game.

September 22, 2008

History is filled with stories of successful individuals with less than promising beginnings. Here are just a few. . .

Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until he became Prime Minister at the age of 62. He later wrote, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never.

Sigmund Freud was booed from the podium when he first presented his ideas to the scientific community of Europe. He returned to his office and kept on writing.

Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry.

Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.

F. W. Woolworth was not allowed to wait on customers when he worked in a dry goods store because his boss said, "He didn't have enough sense."

When Bell telephone was struggling to get started, its owners offered all their rights to Western Union for $100,000. The offer was disdainfully rejected with the pronouncement, "What use could this company make of an electrical toy."

And one of my personal favorites. . .

Daniel Boone was once asked by a reporter if he had ever been lost in the wilderness. Boone thought for a moment and replied, "No, but I was once bewildered for about three days."

September 05, 2008

The fable of the turtle and the scorpion is frequently referenced in today’s popular culture to illustrate the insuppressible nature of one's self at its basic level.From a business perspective, the truth revealed is that a person will “usually” remain consistent in their deeds, words and actions based on their past history. (Their nature)

A scorpion, being a very bad swimmer, asked a turtle to carry him on its back across a river. "Are you mad?" exclaimed the turtle. "You'll sting me while I'm swimming and I'll drown." "My dear turtle," exalted the scorpion, "If I was to sting you, you would drown and I'd go down with you. Now where is the logic in that?" "You're right," said the turtle. "Hop on." The scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle asked, "Before I die, I must ask you something? You said there is no logic in your stinging me. Why did you do it?" "It has nothing to do with logic," the drowning scorpion replied. "It's just my nature."

September 04, 2008

Now more than ever, it’s important for small businesses (all business) to maximize their earnings, spend wisely and increase their competitiveness. Listed below are some simple things you can do to boost earning and maximize profits.

Combined advertising - Include coupons and promotional offers in all of your customer correspondence and billing.

Joint marketing and advertising - Join up with a business neighbor or complementary business to split the costs on print advertising, or share your mailing lists. Find these businesses by joining with your local Chamber of Commerce.

Ask for referrals - You should be asking everyone you know - customers, friends and associates.

Discounted advertising – With advertising down, the local newspapers and cable TV are offering some great advertising specials. Should you advertise in a down economy? Read this.

Teach a class – Check with the local community colleges about presenting a class on your area of expertise, establishing yourself as an expert.

Audit your utility bills – There are usually several rate structures available to corporate users. Don't rely on the utility company to assign you the most cost-effective rate. For fast-growing companies especially, it pays to compare various options once a year. Additionally, ask your electric/gas company for a free energy audit, identifying waste and possible cost saving improvements.

Lease an employee or use a contractor – Not only can the costs be lower, buy with frivolous employee lawsuits on the rise, it could save you a fortune in the long run.

Clean your mailing list – Did you know the US Postal Service will help you clean up your mailing list for free? And by adding the Zip plus 4, you may be eligible for bar code discounts.

Bulk mailing discounts – Many Chambers offer their members discount on bulk mail run through their mail centers. Find your Chamber here

Checks by mail – Often, ordering checks through the mail will save considerably more than going to your bank direct.

Join a buying alliance – Link up with similar businesses to secure discounts on larger orders on everything from paper towels to motor oil.

Do your own press releases – There are several online services that will walk you though the process rather than having someone do it for you.

Barter your products or service - The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) is a clearinghouse for member exchanges across the country, allowing business owners to swap just about anything with anyone.

Turn e-mail into profits – Everyone within your company should have a promotional signature block that automatically posts at the end of all email sent from the business. More. . .

Donate a Prize, Giveaway or Auction Item – A tremendous way to generate some low cost exposure and publicity for your company is to offer a sample of your product or service to organizations such as a local Chamber of Commerce. More. . .

Free e-mail - Google hosted email offers free use or $50.00 to upgrade and receive enhanced space and benefits. Many small businesses now use this service. Your customers and clients will never know the difference as your email address will stay the same.

Vendor re-negotiation - Go to each of your vendors every 6-9 months and ask for 10-30% off. If half of them say yes you'll save 5-15% on fixed costs. Many vendors will give you a discount if they think they might lose the business.

Reduce or eliminate costs on employment advertising – While print media won’t be a fan, try craigslist as the quality of applicants has increased with the sites credibility.(My two most recent employees were located from this source – and they are fantastic)

August 29, 2008

It’s has been an exciting year watching my little blog grow up. What originally began as a “place” to archive some of my company newsletter articles written over the years, has turned into an Internet destination for many thousands of visitors and several hundred subscribes from all over the world, and growing.

So to those of you who frequent these pages, thank you!

What does the future hold for SuccessCo?As a staunch practitioner of change and innovation, I am excited about some of the changes and improvements on the drawing board. While I am not quite ready to reveal them today, I know you will ultimately agree that year two will be even more successful than year one!